


Sandbox Companion

by PlasmaBooks



Series: Shelter [2]
Category: Final Space (Cartoon)
Genre: AU, Friendship, aye-you, i wrote this because i really want irl friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-11
Updated: 2018-11-11
Packaged: 2019-08-22 00:02:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16586849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PlasmaBooks/pseuds/PlasmaBooks
Summary: Little Cato finally makes a friend.





	Sandbox Companion

The sandbox is the only place all the kids avoid during recess, and that works fine enough for him. He's grown accustomed to the days of sitting in the sand and avoiding eye contact with everybody until the bell rings to go back inside. He's grown used to just being by himself at school. That's why he's taken aback when he arrives at the sandbox prepared for another day of loneliness and sees a human boy already in the sandbox, apparently already having prepared for the same thing. Little Cato had began to turn away, but the boy has already spotted him, and he makes it clear. 

"Hey!"

Little Cato's ears perk a bit as he nervously glances back at the boy. He's smiling just a little bit, and his apricot-colored hand pats the sand beside him. "Come on in and sit down!"

Little Cato obliges, nervously, tentatively. He sits down in the sand next to the human, jumping in surprise when a hand is suddenly palm up in front of his face.

"The name's Parker!" The human that Little Cato can now acknowledge as "Parker" chimes. Little Cato forgets what he's supposed to do momentarily, but remembers and gently shakes Parker's hand. 

"Uh... I'm... Little Cato." The Ventrexian mutters, digging his fingers into the sand. He's  _way_ too nervous for this.

"That's a funny name." Parker replies, and he laughs. But Little Cato doesn't laugh, even after a few seconds, so the human stops. "I'm sorry."

Little Cato's shoulders slouch. "It's fine. Lots of people laugh at it." 

"I think it's pretty  _oo-meek_!"

Little Cato turns his head to look at Parker with a quizzical expression. "What?"

" _Oo-meek_! Mom says it means different, but in a  _really_ good way. Like there's no other like you!" Parker explains. 

A chuckle escapes Little Cato. "You mean 'unique'?" 

Parker stops smiling and stares at the playground in the distance. "Oh. Yeah, that word." Little Cato can't help but chuckle again at how dumbfounded the human looks. "How come  _you_ know that but  _I_ don't?" 

"It's a better way to look at things when you're the only Ventrexian at school." Little Cato says softly, staring out at the playground as well. "It just casts everything in a better light."

"Venter... ven... what's that word?" Parker asks. Little Cato notices, for the first time, that Parker has a slur to his voice when he tries to pronounce anything with an "s" sound in it. 

"Ventrexian." Little Cato replies. "It's... complicated. I-I mean, we're complicated. But... it's like, our species."

"Ooh, really? Because you really just look like a  _cat_ to me!"

Ohh, boy. 

Little Cato stares off into space then, not sure how to break it to the kid, not even sure what to say. Luckily, Parker realizes in a few minutes, and dramatically slaps his hands over his own mouth when he does. 

"Oh jeez!" He squeaks out, eyes wide with shock. "I messes up again didn't I?"

"Just a little." Little Cato lies, trying to soften the blow. "Don't worry, a lot of people make that mistake." Parker's shoulders slouch, and Little Cato hopes that that means he feels better about the mistake. 

Little Cato picks up a few grains of sand and sprinkles them on the grass. "I don't know what the issue is, honestly. Dad just told me not to take the nicknames from anybody."

"Do you have  _claws_?" 

The question is so sudden and strange that Little Cato tilts his head towards the boy and quirks an eyebrow before letting it rest. "Uh... yeah. I do have claws." He confirms in a mutter, holding up a gloved paw. "Under these." 

"Why are they covered up?" Parker asks. Little Cato forces a chuckle, because he really doesn't want to talk about it, but Parker is too inquisitive for his own good.

"Our claws are a lot stronger than yours. Sharper and, uh, more dangerous. The school makes me cover mine up so I can't use them on anybody." That statement hurts a lot more than it should, and Little Cato doesn't know why. He pushes it away, but it just comes back as he says the next thing. "Where my Dad works, they make him put gloves on, too."   
  
"Would you ever use your claws on anybody...?" Parker whispers. 

"Only on bad guys." Little Cato replies. "You're fine. You're not a bad guy."

"I played as the Robber in Cops and Robbers before."

Little Cato laughs. "That doesn't count. It's just a game. Don't do anything bad for  _real_ and you'll be fine."

Parker perks up, smiling. "Okay! I can do that." Little Cato can't help but smile back. 

"Good."

"Do you want to be friends?"

It's yet another question that takes him by surprise, and he has to take a moment to see if that's actually what he heard. Did he  _really_ just make a friend after waiting for so long? Is it too late to mess this up? His head races a thousand miles a second and it's hard enough for him to even say "Yes" without stuttering like a broken machine. 

He's snapped back to reality when Parker, seemingly overjoyed by his answer, wraps the Ventrexian up in a bear hug. Little Cato smiles softly and accepts it. "Is this your first friend?"

"Yep!" Parker confirms. "How about you."

"Uh-huh." Little Cato replies. Silence follows, but only for a minute; it's quickly broken again by the ever-chatty Parker moments later.

"You know, I'm really glad I sat down in this sandbox." He says softly, happily digging in the dirt with his hands. 

Little Cato feels a breeze in the air and tilts his head up to meet it, smiling softly and closing his eyes. "So am I." 

Parker looks at Little Cato and copies him. 

They stay that way, enjoying both the sun and each other's company, until the bell rings for all the students to return to class. 

"See you tomorrow!" Parker calls as they separate, already jogging in order to catch up with his departing (and now organized) class. 

"See ya!" Little Cato shouts in reply, waving to the human boy.

When he gets inside the school again, he's skipping down the hall towards his classroom. He catches a few odd stares, but it doesn't matter. Nothing like that matters anymore. 

He's finally made a friend.

 

 


End file.
